Arrangement for connecting a ski boot to a ski

ABSTRACT

IN THE CONTEXT OF A SAFETY ARRANGEMENT FOR CONNECTING A BOOT WITH A SKI, COMPRISING A HEEL HOLDING MEANS WHICH CAN BE SWUNG SO AS TO FIT OVER AN EDGE OF THE HEEL OF THE BOOT, AND AUTOMATICALLY SNAPS INTO POSITIN ON PLACING THE BOOT IN THE ARRANGEMENT AND AUTOMATICALLY RELEASES THE BOOT ON AN EXCESSIVE LOAD BEING APPLIED, AND AN OPENING PART WHICH CAN BE ACTUATED BY HAND FOR OPENING THE ARRANGEMENT FOR RELEASE OF THE BOOT, THE PRESENT IMPROVEMENT PROVIDES THAT THE HEEL HOLDING MEANS EXTENDS BELOW AND BEHIND THE HEEL OF THE BOOT, AND IN THAT THE ARRANGEMENT INCLUDES A PIN BY WHICH THE HEEL HOLDING MEANS IS CONNECTED BELOW THE HEEL OF THE BOOT IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO ALLOW TILTING, A SWIVEL PLATE ATTACHED TO THE SKI AND HAVING A RECESS RUNNING IN THE DIRECTION OF THE SKI, THE HEEL HOLER BEING ATTACHED IN THE RECESS AND ELASTIC CONNECTING PARTS FOR FIXING THE HEEL HOLDER IN THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF THE SKI.

H. SATA-l. 3,606,369

ARRANGEMENT FOR CONNECTING SKI BOOT '-IO A SKI y Sept. 20, 1971 FiledJuly 14, 1969 :Inventor WMIBSQQ.,

United States Patent Oce 3,606,369 Patented Sept. 20, 1971 3,606,369 ARRANGEMENT FOR CONNECTING A SKI BOOT TO A SKI Heinz Batal, Ruckersdorf, Germany, assignor to Carl Braun Camera-Werke, Nuremberg, Germany Filed July 14, 1969, Ser. No. 841,369 Claims priority, application Germany, July 25, 1968, P 17 03 891.4 Int. Cl. A63c 9/00 U.S. Cl. 280-11.35T Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In the context of a safety arrangement for connecting a boot with a ski, comprising a heel holding means which can be swung so as to lit over an edge of the heel of the boot, and automatically snaps into position on placing the boot in the arrangement and automatically releases the boot on an excessive load being applied, and an opening part which can be actuated by hand for opening the arrangement for release of the boot, the present improvement provides that the heel holding means extends below and behind the heel of the boot, and in that the arrangement includes a pin by which the heel holding means is connected -below the heel of the boot in such a manner as to allow tilting, a swivel plate attached to the ski and having a recess running in the direction of the ski, the heel holder being attached in the recess and elastic connecting parts for xing the heel holder in the longitudinal direction of the ski.

The present invention relates to a safety arrangement for attaching a ski boot to a ski and more particularly to such an arrangement comprising a swivelling plate and a heel holding means which can be swung over the edge of the heel of the ski boot and which automatically lits over the edge of the heel on putting on the ski and on an excessive force being applied automatically frees the ski boot, and can also be swivelled by hand selectively for freeing the boot.

One object of the present invention is to provide such a safety ski boot attachment which is simple in design and allows the application of a resilient holding force over a long stroke in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the ski and also in the longitudinal direction of the ski, =botl1 holding force components being capable of being precisely set and acting independently of one another.

In accordance with one aspect the heel holding means extends below and behind the boot heel and by means of a pin or shaft arranged below the boot heel is held in a recess in a rotary plate xed to the ski so as to allow swivelling motion of the heel holding means and lateral elastic connecting means, for example helical springs are provided for holding the heel holding means in the longitudinal direction.

In this manner a safety ski attachment arrangement is provided in which the boot is pressed elastically against the front jaw without the holding force which can be set in a direction perpendicular to the ski plane is affected and in which a violent opening force, occurring for example on a fall, causes the heel holding means to move towards the ski tip upwards with a swivelling action so that the holding down means remains above the edge of the heel for a long travel and the boot is held with an elastic resilient action. Simultaneously the swivel plate prevents any uncontrolled frictional moments Ibetween the ski and the boot on the appearance of torsion forces. In accordance with the invention the heel holder can be formed in a conventional manner by a housing part and by a holding down means which is preferably adjustable as to height, the holding down means and the housing part being pivoted together, the holding down means being engaged by means of a bell crank or the like, which is spring loaded, on the heel holder. Owing to the possibility of the point of engagement `be-tween the spring and the bell crank the twisting moment of the bell crank can be adjusted so that the release of the holding down means owing to the action of various opening forces is allowed to take place. Finally there is the provision that, for adaptation to different boot sizes, the lateral elastic connection parts between the heel holder and the swivel plate are constructed to allow longitudinal adjustment by the use of a screw-threaded drive mechanism, so that simultaneously the holding forces acting in the longitudinal direction of the ski can be set with a varying degree on the boot.

One embodiment of the invention is now described with reference to the attached drawing.

FIG. l shows a safety ski attachment in the open position.

FIG. 2 shows the attachment in accordance with FIG. 1 in the closed or holding position.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes the ski which carries a stationary swivel plate 2 which is connected with an anchoring plate 3 fixed to the ski so as to allow swivelling movement of the plate 2. The swivel plate 2 is provided underneath the ski heel with an opening 4 running in the longitudinal direction of the ski plane and a heel holder S or detent unit is held by means of a pin or shaft 6 in this opening so as to allow swivelling movement and longitudinal shifting movement. The heel holder or detent unit is held so as to allow adjustment in the longitudinal direction by lateral elastic connecting parts or ties 7 with screw-threaded means 8 on the side lugs 9 of the swivel plate 2.

For connecting the boot with the ski attachment means the holding down means 10 of the detent unit 5 is brought into the position of FIG. 2, that is to say directed upwards to the rear and held in this position by the upper curved part 13 of the bell crank 12 in the detent unit 5. On placing the boot in the ski attachment means the holding down means 10 is swung in a clockwise direction and laid over the top ledge 16 of the boot heel. Simultaneously the swinging movement of the boot displaces the heel holder or holding means 5 to the rear so that the elastic connecting ties 7 are placed under tension and the boot is pressed against the front jaw (not shown) on the ski. Shortly before the boot comes to rest on the ski 1 the holding pin 11 0f the holding down means 10 is arrested by the lower curve or cam part 14 of the bell crank 12 which is loaded by the spring 17 in the detent unit, the arrangement allowing for the holding pin 11 to be released. In order to vary the holding force acting on the pin 11 the resilient counterabutment 18 on the bell crank 12 is arranged in a recess provided with detent ramps 19 so that the point of engagement of the spring 17 can be made with effective lever arms of different size on the bell crank 12 in the detent unit. In order to shift the spring 17, a setting lever 20 is mounted on the bell crank 12 so as to be able to be turned.

If the boot is to be released by hand, it is only necessary to press on the rear part 15 of the bell crank 12 so that the latter swings back and makes it possible the release of the holding down means 10 and thus the boot.

l claim:

1. In an arrangement for connecting a boot with a ski comprising:

anchoring plate means xed to the ski, and

a snap action detent unit adapted to engage the rear part of the boot heel at an upwardly facing ledge on the heel, the snap action unit comprising two parts 3 of which one can be swung upwards in relation to the other for release of the heel, the improvement comprising:

a swivel plate means held adjacent to the ski by the anchoring plate means, the swivel plate means being capable of swinging about a vertical axis passing through the heel of the hoot,

connecting means connecting the snap action unit With the swivel plate so as to allow relative sliding movement between them in the longitudinal direction of the boot, and swinging movement about an axis adjacent to the swivel plate, the latter axis extending athwart the ski and ties arranged to the sides of the heel, each tie extending forwards from a point of attachment with the detent unit behind the heel to pivot points on the swivel plate, the points of attachment between the ties and the unit being below the heelledge.

2. The structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the ties are provided with elastic means allowing the ties to be stretched resiliently.

3. The structure as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a pin extending transversely in relation to the ski and connected with the part connecting the detent unit with the connecting part attached to the swivel plate, the pin being held adjacent to the ski by the swivel plate.

4. The structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the ties can be adjusted in length.

5. The structure as set forth in claim 1 comprising a resilient abutment for taking up retaining forces acting in a direction perpendicular to the ski, and means for adjusting the resilient abutment in position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,125,349 3/1964 Schweizer ZBO-11.35 3,279,195 l0/1966 Salomon 280--l1.35 3,291,500 12/1966 Voster et al 2SC-11.35 3,317,217 5/1967 Poiger 280-ll.35 3,333,859 8/1967 Smolka et al. 280-l1.35

LEO FRIAGLIA, Primary Examiner R. R. SONG, Assistant Examiner 

